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 Read & Listen German Idioms No. 1.201 - 1.250    

Idioms No. 1.201 - 1.250
     
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No. Listen German Idiom   English Translation  
       
1.201.   Schlaf gut! Sleep tight!
    [ʃla:f gu:t]  
    Literally: Sleep well!  
       
1.202.   ein langes Gesicht machen to make a long face
    [ain 'laŋəs gə'zɪçt 'maxən]  
       
1.203.   mir nichts, dir nichts at the drop of a hat
    [mi:ə nɪçts di:ə nɪçts]  
    Literally: nothing to me, nothing to you  
       
1.204.   Nach dem Essen sollst du ruh'n oder tausend Schritte tun! After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile!
    [na:x de:m 'ɛsən zɔlst du: ru:n 'o:dɐ 'tauzənt 'ʃrɪtə tu:n]  
    Literally: After the meal you shall rest or do thousand steps!  
       
1.205.   wie ein Fels in der Brandung as solid as a rock
    [vi: ain fɛls ɪn de:ɐ 'brandʊŋ]  
    Literally: like a rock in the surge  
       
1.206.   quietschvergnügt sein to be full of the joys of spring
    [kvi:tʃfɛɐ'gny:kt zain]  
    Literally: to be squeaking cheerful  
       
1.207.   ein böses Ende nehmen to come to a bad end
    [ain 'bø:zəs 'ɛndə 'ne:mən]  
    Literally: to take an evil end  
       
1.208.   aus lauter Jux und Tollerei out of sheer fun
    [aus 'lautɐ jʊks ʊnt tɔlə'rai]  
    Literally: out of sheer joke and gambol  
       
1.209.   den Teufel an die Wand malen to imagine the worst
    [de:n 'tɔyfəl an di: vant 'ma:lən]  
    Literally: to paint the devil on the wall  
       
1.210.   schwarz auf weiß in black and white
    [ʃvarts auf vais]  
    Literally: black on white  
       
1.211.   Umso besser! All the better!
    ['ʊmzo: 'bɛsɐ]  
    Literally: Even better!  
       
1.212.   ein Leckermäulchen sein to have a sweet tooth
    [ain 'lɛkɐmɔylçən zain]  
    Literally: to be a little tasty mouth  
       
1.213.   Wunder wirken to work wonders
    ['vʊndɐ 'vɪrkən]  
       
1.214.   unter dem Siegel der Verschwiegenheit under the seal of secrecy
    ['ʊntɐ de:m 'zi:gəl de:ɐ fɛɐ'ʃvi:gənhait]  
       
1.215.   den Bogen überspannen to overstep the mark
    [de:n 'bo:gən y:bɐ'ʃpanən]  
    Literally: to overstrain the bow  
       
1.216.   Es ist nicht persönlich gemeint. It's nothing personal.
    [ɛs ɪst nɪçt pɛɐ'zø:nlɪç gə'maint]  
    Literally: It is not meant personally.  
       
1.217.   pünktlich wie die Maurer sein to be dead on time
    ['pʏŋktlɪç vi: di: 'maurɐ zain]  
    Literally: to be as puncutal as the bricklayers  
       
1.218.   Operation gelungen, Patient tot! Operation successful, patient dead!
    [opəra'tsio:n gə'lʊŋən pa'tsiɛnt to:t]  
    Literally: Operation succeeded, patient dead!  
       
1.219.   alles beim Alten lassen to leave everything as it is
    ['aləs baim 'altən 'lasən]  
    Literally: to leave everything at the old  
       
1.220.   auf den Boden der Tatsachen zurückkommen to come down to earth
    [auf de:n 'bo:dən de:ɐ 'ta:tzaxən tsu'rʏkkɔmən]  
    Literally: to come back on the ground of the facts  
       
1.221.   Es würde uns sehr freuen. It would give us great pleasure.
    [ɛs 'vʏrdə ʊns ze:ɐ 'frɔyən]  
    Literally: It would please us very much.  
       
1.222.   eine gute Kinderstube haben to have a good breeding
    ['ainə 'gu:tə 'kɪndɐʃtu:bə 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have a good children's room  
       
1.223.   das beste Pferd im Stall sein to be the pick of the bunch
    [das 'bɛstə pfe:ɐt ɪm ʃtal zain]  
    Literally: to be the best horse in the stable  
       
1.224.   Machen Sie sich keine Umstände! Don't put yourself out!
    ['maxən zi: zɪç 'kainə 'ʊmʃtɛndə]  
    Literally: Make yourself no bothers!  
       
1.225.   unter aller Sau beneath contempt
    ['ʊntɐ 'alɐ zau]  
    Literally: beneath all sow  
       
1.226.   so lala sein to be fair to middling
    [zo: la'la zain]  
    Literally: to be so lala  
       
1.227.   Da liegt der Hund begraben! That's the crux of the matter!
    [da: li:kt de:ɐ hʊnt bə'gra:bən]  
    Literally: There the dog lies burried!  
       
1.228.   jemanden (←accusative) auf den Mond schießen to launch somebody into outer space
    ['je:mandən auf de:n mo:nt 'ʃi:sən]  
    Literally: to shoot somebody on the moon  
       
1.229.   wie Kraut und Rüben higgledy-piggledy
    [vi: kraut ʊnt 'ry:bən]  
    Literally: like cabbage and turnips  
       
1.230.   so sicher wie in Abrahams Schoß as safe as houses
    [zo: 'zɪçɐ vi: ɪn 'abrahams 'ʃo:s]  
    Literally: as safe as in Abraham's lap  
       
1.231.   ständig auf Achse sein to be always on the move
    ['ʃtɛndɪç auf 'aksə zain]  
    Literally: to be constantly on axle  
       
1.232.   nach Adam Riese according to Cocker
    [na:x 'a:dam 'ri:zə]  
    Literally: according to Adam Riese  
       
1.233.   Torschlusspanik bekommen to panic at the last minute
    ['to:ɐʃlʊspa:nɪk bə'kɔmən]  
    Literally: to get gate close panic  
       
1.234.   mit einem Affentempo at breakneck speed
    [mɪt 'ainəm afən'tɛmpo]  
    Literally: with a monkey's tempo  
       
1.235.   Bauklötze staunen to be flabbergasted
    ['bauklœtsə 'ʃtaunən]  
    Literally: to marvel building bricks  
       
1.236.   Alarm schlagen to sound the alarm
    [aˈlarm 'ʃla:gən]  
    Literally: to beat alarm  
       
1.237.   Der Amtsschimmel wiehert! It's red tape all the way!
    [de:ɐ 'amtsʃɪməl 'vi:ɐt]  
    Literally: The white office horse whinnies!  
       
1.238.   Neue Besen kehren gut. A new broom sweeps clean.
    ['nɔyə 'be:zən 'ke:rən gu:t]  
    Literally: New brooms sweep well.  
       
1.239.   etwas über den Daumen peilen to estimate something by rule of thumb
    ['ɛtvas 'y:bɐ de:n 'daumən 'pailən]  
    Literally: to peek something over the thumb  
       
1.240.   Gesagt, getan. No sooner said than done.
    [gə'za:kt gə'ta:n]  
    Literally: Said, done.  
       
1.241.   guter Dinge sein to be in good spirits
    ['gu:tɐ 'dɪŋə zain]  
    Literally: to be of good things  
       
1.242.   einen über den Durst trinken to have one over the eight
    ['ainən 'y:bɐ de:n dʊrst 'trɪŋkən]  
    Literally: to drink one over the thirst  
       
1.243.   lügen wie gedruckt to lie right, left and centre
    ['ly:gən vi: gə'drʊkt]  
    Literally: to lie like printed  
       
1.244.   jemandem (←dative) den Kopf verdrehen to turn somebody's head
    ['je:mandəm de:n kɔpf fɛɐ'dre:ən]  
    Literally: to twist somebody the head  
       
1.245.   die Hosen anhaben to wear the trousers
    [di: 'ho:zən 'anha:bən]  
    Literally: to have the trousers on  
       
1.246.   jemandem (←dative) einen Korb geben to turn somebody down
    ['je:mandəm 'ainən kɔrp 'ge:bən]  
    Literally: to give somebody a basket  
       
1.247.   Hummeln im Hintern haben to have ants in one's pants
    ['hʊməln ɪm 'hɪntɐn 'ha:bən]  
    Literally: to have bumblebees in the bottom  
       
1.248.   auf dem Absatz kehrtmachen to turn on one's heels
    [auf de:m 'apzats 'ke:ɐtmaxən]  
    Literally: to about-turn on the heel  
       
1.249.   jemanden (←accusative) in Atem halten to keep somebody in suspense
    ['je:mandən ɪn 'a:təm 'haltən]  
    Literally: to keep somebody in breath  
       
1.250.   Der Lack ist ab! All the glamour is gone!
    [de:ɐ lak ɪst ap]  
    Literally: The lacquer is off!  
 
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